Science Forums 2

[CraigD]

I voted “no”, because, in my experience, most religious people do not like to proselytize, despite many of their religions’ scriptural instruction to do so.

On the other hand, of science enthusiasts, the other kind of person obviously drawn to a science forum, to troll or not to troll, most in my experience are motivated to share their knowledge. One might say that scientists are naturally teachers, while religionists are naturally receivers of teaching.

Based on nothing but anecdotal experience and intuition, I suspect that many if not most science enthusiasts are fond of one or more off-beat-to-bizarre theory. A minority, but still a good number, are either obsessively drive to promote a pet strange theory, or feel that internet forums, due in greatest part to their anonymity, are an appropriate place to trot them out. These people tend strongly to be internet trolls or a species I’ll call “science-y trolls”

In absolute numbers, religious trolls are more commonly encountered than science-y trolls. As a fraction of their base populations – all religionists for religious trolls, people with at least a modicum of, or the believe that they have knowledge, of science for science-y trolls – I believe trollishness is more common among the science-y.

As I mentioned above, I don’t have any statistical support for my suspicions. In psychology, with its focus on individual cases, this isn’t in my experience as great a failing as in other disciplines. A more interesting psychological question than the incidence of trollishness, is, IMHO, the development of it in individuals. I wonder when – at what age – trollishness manifests in various people? Do non-trolls become trolls? Do trolls stop being trolls – not do they just stop plaguing internet forums, but do they control or expunge the psychological trait? And, more importantly I think for the promotion of science and the attendant benefit of humankind, how best can teachers and caregivers prevent trollishness?

I’m unaware of any serious psychological study of these questions. Anyone know of any?